Taipari Taua (she/they/ia)
So you’ve had your O-Week, and now you’re getting into real uni life. Maybe you’ve just graduated from Kura Kaupapa, maybe you’ve just started your journey into Māoritanga, or maybe you’re somewhere in between. Either way, you’re in a completely new, and quite Pākeha environment and you’re wondering how to start and/or maintain your connection to your culture. Lucky for you, I’ve got some mean tips for you so that you can walk around campus with confidence.
First off, you’ll want to follow the Māori groups at Te Herenga Waka online so that you can keep up to date with all the kaupapa happening throughout the year. Here are a few key ones:
@ngaitauira.vuw
@awhina_vuw
@reomaorisociety
@nga_rangahautira for the Law students
These groups run all sorts of events from Kapa Haka, sports, study wānanga, workshops, and more. Give them a follow on Instagram and keep an eye out for their events and also for other Māori groups at Te Herenga Waka.
Secondly, you’ll need to know the spots on campus where you can find your people. Luckily, there are heaps! You’ve got the Ngāi Tauira common room in the Student Union building (SU211) and plenty of Āwhina Whānau Rooms:
CO145A, Kelburn campus
TTR107, Kelburn campus
VZ004, Kelburn campus
GB234, Pipitea campus (Old Government Building)
RHMZ19, Pipitea campus (Rutherford House)
VS128, Te Aro campus
Āwhina is here to support Māori students, and whānau rooms are great places to study, have a cuppa, and get to know other tauira Māori.
These two steps are key to finding your whānau at Te Herenga Waka. You’ll find study buddies, tūākana who can give you advice (maybe even notes), and usually a feed.
If you’re not sure about where you can go to kōrero or get resources to keep exercising your reo Māori, no matter where you are on your journey, you can find plenty of resources in the library. However, the best way I’ve found to keep up my reo is to find people to kōrero to. This is even more of a reason to attend social events run by previously aforementioned groups, especially Te Hōhaieti o te Reo Māori. Te Hōhaieti runs all sorts of events throughout the year to make space for people to kōrero.
Ngā Rangahautira, the Māori Law Students Association, runs a weekly reo session every week that is run by yours truly! It’s a safe space to kōrero to others who are from all different points in their reo journey. You’ll play Māori games, learn a thing or two from each other, and maybe even get a free coffee! Keep an eye out for our socials for when we have it!
A few general tips:
Sit at the front of your lectures! I know it sounds scary but what’s even scarier is trying to focus on your lecture when there are hundreds of people in front of you.
Don’t be whakamā to be a nerd. I know for a lot of us, our whānau, and indeed our tūpuna, sacrificed a lot to get us here. Please have fun, but remember what you are here for.
I know people aaaalways say this but please do keep up with your lectures and readings, especially after tri 1, and ESPECIALLY if you do law.
Don’t be afraid to talk to people! Making friends is pretty important for surviving uni. Remember that all the other freshers are in the same boat as you, so hoea tō waka!
Hei whakakapi, he mea kia tuhia ki tō rae. Lastly, remember to keep your head high - no matter what you look like, no matter where you are on your journey, you are Māori enough. Be fucking proud.
Mauri ora,
Taipari Taua x
P.s My G.O.A.T Māmari Stephens runs a space for Māori staff and students on the last Tuesday of every month at Ramsey House to have a kai, a kawhe, and a kōrero.
